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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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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: wound · chair · can · court · stock · bulb · suit · plane

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. court — of law
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stock — shares
  19. wound — an injury
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bulb — for light
  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