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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 120 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: current · suit · kick · spring · court · stand · nail · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of a king
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — the season
  9. suit — in cards
  10. court — for sport
  11. spring — of water
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. court — of law
  15. spring — a coil
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — to bear

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