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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. court — of a king
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — clever
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — happy
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — of law
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — for sport
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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