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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. trunk — of a tree
  4. court — for sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — an amount
  7. court — of law
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. kid — child
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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