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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. board — a committee
  4. cold — an illness
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cold — not warm
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. track — a song
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — music

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