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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: court · bay · firm · bulb · suit · board · file · rest

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — to fit
  4. court — of a king
  5. suit — clothes
  6. firm — a company
  7. court — of law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — for sport
  10. rest — a break
  11. file — a document
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. firm — steady
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — decided
  17. board — to get on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. suit — in cards
  24. board — a committee

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