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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — a container
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bass — low music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — the tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. snap — to click
  22. bass — the fish
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cap — a hat

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