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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. present — there
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — a committee
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spell — magic
  11. charge — in control
  12. present — a gift
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spell — letters
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — the time now
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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