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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a signal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. court — for sport
  17. content — happy
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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