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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: board · season · court · chair · bulb · tube · bay · rush

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. court — of law
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. board — to get on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — a container
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. season — of the year
  12. board — a committee
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. court — of a king
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. court — for sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. season — in sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — for light
  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