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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. court — of law
  24. track — a song

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