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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bound — obliged
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. court — of law
  16. ball — a dance
  17. craft — boats
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. lash — to lash out

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