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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a great time
  6. court — of law
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. court — of a king
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — music
  16. court — for sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. pop — soda
  22. club — a group
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pound — to hit hard

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