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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — for sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. band — a music group
  10. court — of law
  11. spring — of water
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a face
  17. bass — the fish
  18. band — a ring
  19. spring — the season
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bass — low music

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