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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: bulb · pitcher · stand · court · band · bass · kid · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bass — low music
  4. kid — child
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — of law
  8. band — a ring
  9. court — of a king
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. kid — to tease
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — for sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — a jug

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