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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bulb — for light
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — to push
  11. pop — music
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. board — a committee
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. roll — a list
  19. press — newspapers
  20. game — a match
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pop — to visit

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