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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — music
  5. band — a ring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — a break
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a music group
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lie — to recline

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