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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wind — moving air
  4. swing — to play on
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. board — to get on
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — an aim
  11. swing — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. object — to protest
  19. roll — a list
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. swing — in golf
  23. object — a thing
  24. deal — to handle

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