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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. root — of a plant
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — to get on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. court — of law
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hand — help
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. court — of a king
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hand — part of the body

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