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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bulb — for light
  12. shower — rain
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cue — a hint
  15. court — for sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. scale — size or range
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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