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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. court — of a king
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. row — a line
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. court — of law
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com