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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of a king
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. squash — to crush
  6. season — of the year
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. club — a group
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chest — a box
  12. court — of law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. court — for sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. club — for dancing
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. club — for golf
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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