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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ground — a position
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — to get on
  5. ground — crushed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. board — a committee
  20. suit — clothes
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. suit — in cards
  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