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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · suit · lean · chip · stem · fine · racket · court

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fine — high quality
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fine — all right
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. lean — thin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — to eat
  22. court — of a king
  23. lean — to bend
  24. suit — in cards

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