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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 · can · stock · sharp · mark · band · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. firm — steady
  5. court — of law
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — a trace
  8. firm — decided
  9. band — a music group
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — goods
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a ring
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — a company
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. court — of a king

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