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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — low music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spell — magic
  7. game — wild animals
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — to get on
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — letters
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. game — a match
  24. pitch — completely

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