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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stem — to come from
  4. court — of law
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — for sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hand — help
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. object — a thing

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