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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — completely
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. rash — hasty
  6. firm — steady
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rash — a series
  10. firm — decided
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — to get on
  20. firm — a company
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bulb — for light

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