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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: spell · bulb · fan · chair · stem · deal · tube · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. spell — magic
  7. court — of law
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tube — a container
  16. spell — a short time
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. deal — to handle
  21. spell — letters
  22. court — of a king
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tube — the underground

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