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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 116 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. club — for golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. clip — a video
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. court — for sport
  17. club — a group
  18. clip — for paper
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. club — for dancing
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. clip — to cut

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