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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. drill — a practice
  3. deal — to handle
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. shower — rain
  6. board — to get on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. march — the month
  14. drill — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ball — a dance
  17. drill — army training
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — a committee
  20. march — the month
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a great time
  24. shower — to wash

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