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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rock — music
  5. season — of the year
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pop — soda
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. board — a committee
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — to visit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — boats
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pop — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — a stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. craft — a skill
  24. board — a flat piece

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