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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — to get on
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — of a king
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mate — a friend
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. clip — to cut
  19. board — a committee
  20. court — of law
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. clip — a video

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