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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. root — the cause
  10. court — for sport
  11. key — in music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. row — a line
  19. degree — temperature
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pass — a permit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pass — to succeed

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