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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — a hole
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. dip — to sink
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. swing — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pit — in a race

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