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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 116 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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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: club · stem · court · stand · bulb · band · stick · craft

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. court — of a king
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. court — for sport
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. court — of law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — a group
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for dancing
  23. band — a ring
  24. stand — for spectators

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