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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. current — happening now
  7. fall — the season
  8. swing — music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. court — of law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — for sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — music
  24. fall — to drop

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