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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 124 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — letters
  4. rash — a series
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. suit — to fit
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. suit — in cards
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spell — magic
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rash — hasty

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