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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bound — certain
  3. board — a committee
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — for light
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. craft — boats
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. season — in sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. fan — a supporter

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