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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. land — ground
  9. spell — magic
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — letters
  17. board — to get on
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bore — to drill
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — a short time

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