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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.

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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: firm · court · tube · board · last · snap · fine · bulb

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. court — for sport
  3. last — finally
  4. firm — decided
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — steady
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — of a king
  10. last — to go on
  11. court — of law
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. board — a committee
  14. tube — a container
  15. board — to get on
  16. firm — a company
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. tube — the underground
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. board — a flat piece

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