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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · court · suit · band · row · bulb · coach · kid

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — child
  7. mark — a grade
  8. court — of a king
  9. suit — in cards
  10. row — a line
  11. suit — clothes
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. court — of law
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a music group
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. band — a ring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — for sport
  24. band — a rubber band

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