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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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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: can · mug · stick · rush · court · kick · bulb · plane

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mug — a face
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. court — for sport
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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