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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — a contest
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — for pool
  8. drill — army training
  9. court — for sport
  10. race — the arms race
  11. drill — the tool
  12. court — of law
  13. bass — low music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. court — of a king
  16. race — humankind
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fork — in a road

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