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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — moving air
  8. board — a committee
  9. court — of a king
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. court — of law
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. suit — to fit
  18. court — for sport
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — of a plant

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