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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — of law
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bore — to tire
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bore — to drill
  13. court — for sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. board — a committee
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. court — of a king
  19. scale — in music
  20. stem — to come from
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a flat piece

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