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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — for a lock
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — a lid
  18. court — of a king
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — the most important part
  22. court — of law
  23. key — in music
  24. cap — of ice

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