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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
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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: band · fan · court · bulb · chip · can · sharp · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. band — a ring
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — in cards
  16. band — a music group
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — a tin

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