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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. net — after costs
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. net — in sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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