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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — shares
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — a container
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stock — goods
  17. court — for sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ball — a dance
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a great time

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