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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rock — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — for sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. board — to get on
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. court — of law
  15. wound — an injury
  16. court — of a king
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitch — completely
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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