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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · tube · pop · pitch · bulb · board · patient · bark

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tube — the underground
  3. board — a committee
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitch — completely
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tube — a container
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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