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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: fine · bulb · bear · hide · court · can · file · stock

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. court — of a king
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. court — for sport
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. court — of law
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stock — goods
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a document
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. file — a tool
  24. stock — shares

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