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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. scale — in music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — soda
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lie — to recline

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