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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. drill — a practice
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — the underground
  7. drill — the tool
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — army training
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. board — to get on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chip — in a computer

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