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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a document
  6. club — for dancing
  7. court — of a king
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stock — shares
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — of the year
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. club — a group
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. file — a tool

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