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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. club — for golf
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. march — the month
  9. board — to get on
  10. pop — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — the month
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. march — music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. club — a group
  19. pop — soda
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of a tree

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