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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — to get on
  3. rock — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — a position
  8. shower — rain
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pop — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. board — a committee
  21. ground — the earth
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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