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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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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — to tease
  6. key — for a lock
  7. band — a music group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — the most important part
  17. kid — child
  18. key — in music

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