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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: bulb · branch · court · can · stand · coach · rush · sharp

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. court — of law
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — a division
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stand — to bear
  11. can — a tin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. court — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of a king
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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