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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — certain
  6. board — a committee
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — to get on
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bulb — of a plant

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