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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — a country
  7. swing — to play on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — a thing
  13. bark — to shout
  14. land — to come down
  15. scale — in music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — ground
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — an aim
  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