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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rest — what's left
  3. court — of law
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — a break
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a trace
  15. board — a committee
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. court — for sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. calf — of the leg

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