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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pop — soda
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pop — music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bear — the animal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. pop — to visit

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