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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. court — for sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. court — of law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. object — to protest
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — certain
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. object — an aim

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