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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 124 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. board — a committee
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — a line
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — low music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — to get on
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ground — a position
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. swing — to play on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bulb — for light
  23. swing — music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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