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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. board — to get on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — to come down
  12. fall — the season
  13. swing — music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — obliged
  17. board — a committee
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. land — a country
  21. fork — in a road
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bulb — for light

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