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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fine — all right
  19. court — of law
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — of the year
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. fork — in a road

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