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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — of law
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of a king
  12. band — a music group
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a ring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. race — a contest
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. race — the arms race
  24. kick — a thrill

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