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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a line
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pit — in a race
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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