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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — hurry
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. court — of a king
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — the fish
  14. suit — to fit
  15. content — happy
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cue — a hint
  21. suit — clothes
  22. court — for sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — in cards

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