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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: court · bound · bulb · spell · hand · stick · rush · deal

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. court — of law
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bound — tied together
  7. court — for sport
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — magic
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — hurry
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of a king
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — help
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spell — letters
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — a thrill

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