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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. degree — an amount
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stand — to bear
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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