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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pop — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — soda
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. board — to get on
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — hurry
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. branch — a division
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bulb — for light
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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