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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cue — a signal
  5. root — the cause
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — to get on
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — of a word
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cue — a hint
  22. board — a committee
  23. bound — obliged
  24. board — a flat piece

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