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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · bowl · date · file · board · bore · can · bulb

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. board — a committee
  7. can — to be able to
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. snap — to click
  16. file — a line of people
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bore — to drill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. file — a document
  21. board — to get on
  22. bore — to tire
  23. file — a tool
  24. date — the fruit

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