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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lean — thin
  3. court — of law
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — for sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. track — a path
  18. content — happy
  19. court — of a king
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. staff — a stick

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