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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fine — high quality
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — of law
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — for paper
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — a price
  14. prune — to trim
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — the cause
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. root — of a word
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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