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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. court — of law
  9. track — to keep track
  10. court — for sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. press — to push
  16. track — a path
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — to get on
  20. track — a song
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pit — in a race
  24. board — a flat piece

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