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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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. bound — tied together
  4. ground — crushed
  5. net — after costs
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. net — for catching
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — in sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bound — certain
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — obliged
  24. field — farmland

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