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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. board — a committee
  10. current — happening now
  11. pit — a hole
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pop — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pop — soda
  19. row — a line
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — of water

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