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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. court — of law
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. suit — in cards
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — in music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rush — hurry
  21. court — of a king
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bulb — for light

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