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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. suit — in cards
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pit — in a race
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bulb — of a plant

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