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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. race — a contest
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bass — the fish
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. land — to come down
  20. race — humankind
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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