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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. court — of a king
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. land — ground
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stand — to bear
  13. land — to come down
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chair — a leader
  21. land — a country
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. scale — in 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