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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bound — tied together
  5. roll — a list
  6. drill — the tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — thin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. drill — a practice
  13. board — to get on
  14. lean — to bend
  15. drill — army training
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — to be able to
  19. march — the month
  20. can — a tin
  21. march — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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