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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. board — a committee
  3. scale — in music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — a company
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. scale — size or range
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — the fish
  12. firm — steady
  13. tear — from crying
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a song
  16. board — to get on
  17. ball — a great time
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. firm — decided
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. track — a path
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a dance

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