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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mate — to breed
  11. field — for sport
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. board — to get on
  15. field — farmland
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. field — a subject
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a partner

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