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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — a hole
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ball — a dance
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — a committee
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kid — to tease

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