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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: court · lie · hand · spell · firm · bulb · tube · pitcher

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spell — letters
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — magic
  18. firm — steady
  19. court — of law
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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