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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — the earth
  7. court — of law
  8. march — the month
  9. court — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ground — a position
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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