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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — a path
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tube — a container
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wax — to grow
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. board — to get on
  21. last — final
  22. track — a song
  23. fan — a supporter
  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