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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — a price
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a face
  15. board — to get on
  16. charge — in control
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. foot — a measure
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mug — a cup
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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