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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spell — a short time
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rock — music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spell — letters
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. swing — music
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — a division
  24. vault — a safe

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