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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — to be able to
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — of a king
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — help
  22. court — for sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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