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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bass — low music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. spring — of water
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — to get on
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. staff — employees
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rash — a series
  21. board — a committee
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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