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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — of a king
  3. can — to be able to
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. march — music
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a match
  10. court — of law
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — electric
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. game — wild animals
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. march — the month
  20. current — happening now
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — of water
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. game — a kind of play

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