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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. drill — a practice
  4. net — after costs
  5. drill — army training
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. net — in sport
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. race — humankind
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — a contest
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. club — for golf
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. net — for catching
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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