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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — to be able to
  13. swing — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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