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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spell — letters
  3. pop — music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rock — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — army training
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. board — to get on
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. scale — in music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. drill — a practice
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pop — to visit

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