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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pop — to visit
  9. board — a committee
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. object — to protest
  14. board — to get on
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. object — a thing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — an aim
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. bulb — for light

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