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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — a series
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spring — of water
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. board — to get on

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