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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ground — crushed
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. wake — a trail
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. last — final
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ground — the earth
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — finally
  24. calf — a young animal

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