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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cue — a hint
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pit — in a race
  7. court — of law
  8. cue — for pool
  9. content — the amount
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. plane — a tool
  13. craft — boats
  14. content — happy
  15. court — for sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cue — a signal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pit — a hole
  24. craft — a handicraft

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