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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — a contest
  5. degree — from a university
  6. content — the amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — decided
  9. content — happy
  10. race — the arms race
  11. firm — steady
  12. board — a committee
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. race — humankind
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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