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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · bowl · fine · court · bulb · snap · jam · track

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fine — all right
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. track — a path
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chip — for betting
  19. track — to keep track
  20. snap — to click
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. court — of law
  24. bulb — for light

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