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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. roll — a cake
  3. court — of law
  4. clip — a video
  5. mark — a grade
  6. can — to be able to
  7. roll — a list
  8. bulb — for light
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bulb — for light
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — a trace
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. court — for sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. clip — to cut
  21. capital — a city
  22. object — an aim
  23. capital — money
  24. clip — for paper

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