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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. land — a country
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. land — ground
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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