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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — of law
  6. vault — a safe
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — steady
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — help
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — from crying
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hand — in cards
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. court — for sport
  20. firm — a company
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. firm — decided
  24. hand — part of the body

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