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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. board — a committee
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bound — certain
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bound — tied together
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — help
  22. rest — what's left
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. board — to get on

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