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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. court — of law
  4. content — the amount
  5. court — of a king
  6. content — happy
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. court — for sport
  9. kick — in football
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. drill — army training
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rush — hurry
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — to wash

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