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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: clip · bear · bulb · bound · mark · stem · suit · court

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. court — of law
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. clip — a video
  14. suit — to fit
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bear — the animal

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