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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — a committee
  7. land — a country
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. land — ground
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pop — to visit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pop — soda
  24. land — to come down

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