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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: court · craft · rest · bulb · pop · bat · current · stand

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. court — of law
  3. pop — to visit
  4. craft — a skill
  5. current — electric
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. current — of water
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — soda
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. current — happening now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — music
  20. stand — to bear
  21. craft — boats
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. stand — on your feet

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