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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. land — ground
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bulb — for light
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spring — a coil
  10. board — to get on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. object — to protest
  13. spring — of water
  14. land — to come down
  15. spring — the season
  16. object — a thing
  17. land — a country
  18. swing — music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. object — an aim
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. scale — in music
  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