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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — to get on
  3. net — for catching
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. roll — a cake
  6. drill — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — after costs
  12. club — a group
  13. drill — army training
  14. tear — from crying
  15. club — for golf
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — a list
  23. tear — to rip
  24. drill — a practice

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