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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. craft — a skill
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — the amount
  13. cap — a lid
  14. content — happy
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. craft — boats
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kick — in football
  20. court — for sport
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. court — of a king

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