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

Word bank: stand · mark · court · key · craft · rule · bulb · kid

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. court — of a king
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — boats
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kid — child
  16. rule — government
  17. key — in music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rule — a law
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — a grade
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rule — to rule 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