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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — of law
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fine — high quality
  6. court — for sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a ring
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — all right
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. band — a music group
  16. court — of a king
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mouse — the animal

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