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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. board — a committee
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. board — to get on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pit — in a race
  19. season — in sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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