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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. current — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — a division
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — happening now
  15. roll — a list
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a cake
  20. current — electric
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bear — to put up with

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