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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — a trail
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — to cool the air

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