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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. row — a line
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. content — the amount
  15. roll — a cake
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. roll — a list
  18. wax — to grow
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. content — happy
  24. board — a committee

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