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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. court — of a king
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — for sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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