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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — for light
  13. court — of law
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fall — the season
  20. bore — to tire
  21. court — for sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bore — gave birth

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