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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pass — a permit
  4. court — of a king
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. board — a committee
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — magic
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. court — of law
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spell — letters
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — clever

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