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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — a signal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a committee
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — a container
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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