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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. board — to get on
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rock — 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