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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. march — the month
  10. face — to confront
  11. rash — a series
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — size or range
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. face — part of the head
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — to point toward
  21. perch — the fish
  22. board — to get on
  23. march — music
  24. dip — to sink

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