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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a document
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — a committee
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — a permit
  16. hand — in cards
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — help
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

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