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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. toast — bread
  4. court — of a king
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — for sport
  7. ball — a dance
  8. court — of law
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ball — a great time
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — in a race
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fan — a supporter

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