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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. board — to get on
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a face
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. board — a committee
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — a phone

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