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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. squash — to crush
  3. band — a music group
  4. track — to keep track
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. branch — a division
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. board — a committee
  10. mate — a friend
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — a partner
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of a king
  20. track — a path
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. track — a song
  24. mate — to breed

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