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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: rush · firm · court · chip · can · bulb · file · band

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. court — of a king
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. court — for sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chip — for betting
  14. firm — a company
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. firm — steady
  20. can — a tin
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — to eat
  24. court — of law

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