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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — a committee
  3. pop — music
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pop — to visit
  10. capital — a city
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — to bear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — to get on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fall — the season
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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