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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kick — in football
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — to grow
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. court — of law
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wake — a trail
  19. court — for sport
  20. content — happy
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — 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