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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
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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: stand · file · bulb · cell · dip · lean · court · ground

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. court — of a king
  3. file — a tool
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a document
  6. stand — to bear
  7. court — for sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. court — of law
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — crushed

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