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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. swing — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — high quality
  10. swing — in golf
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. face — part of the head
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fine — all right
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — in music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — for light
  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