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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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. scale — in music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bulb — for light
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bat — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. suit — to fit
  16. roll — a list
  17. court — for sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. suit — clothes

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