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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of law
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. last — finally
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — to go on
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. last — final
  20. firm — steady
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. firm — a company
  24. bulb — for light

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