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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. club — for golf
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — tied together
  24. board — to get on

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