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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ground — a position
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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