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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. craft — boats
  16. net — after costs
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chair — a leader
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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