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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kid — child
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. scale — in music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — a permit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ground — crushed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. court — for sport
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — to tease

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