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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — the fish
  10. roll — a cake
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. board — to get on
  15. bass — low music
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a committee
  20. spring — a coil
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. spring — the season
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. spring — of water

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