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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stock — goods
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. court — for sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stock — shares
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. object — an aim
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of a king
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — a grade

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