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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. track — a path
  7. season — in sport
  8. court — of law
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — of a king
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. scale — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — to keep track
  18. board — to get on
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — a song

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