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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a dance
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a committee
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. row — to paddle

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