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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: bulb · firm · sharp · cap · ground · board · court · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — steady
  4. court — of a king
  5. cap — of ice
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ground — a position
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. court — for sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — soda
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. board — to get on
  22. firm — a company
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bulb — for light

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