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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. suit — to fit
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bore — to drill
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. board — to get on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kick — in football
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bore — to tire
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. dip — a sauce

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