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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hand — in cards
  16. board — to get on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tear — to rip
  24. vault — a safe

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