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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: suit · bulb · mouse · fall · band · court · stock · chip

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. band — a music group
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fall — the season
  12. band — a ring
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. court — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of a king
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. band — a rubber band

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