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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of a king
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. court — of law
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. court — for sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — the season
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — low music

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