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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. face — to point toward
  3. staff — a stick
  4. swing — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. face — part of the head
  8. swing — in golf
  9. court — of law
  10. face — to confront
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — a law
  15. court — for sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. swing — to play on
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — low music
  22. staff — employees
  23. bass — the fish
  24. perch — the fish

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