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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 120 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: wind · mark · court · saw · can · fine · bulb · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. can — to be able to
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — for sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. court — of law
  16. stand — to bear
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mark — a trace
  22. court — of a king
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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