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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spell — magic
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — a path
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — to rob
  14. track — a song
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mug — a face
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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