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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a ring
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — a committee
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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