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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ground — crushed
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. court — of law
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. charge — a price
  18. key — in music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rock — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. charge — in control

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