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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. staff — employees
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. board — a committee
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — of water
  7. pop — to visit
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — soda
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. board — to get on
  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