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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · bulb · content · bass · rest · foot · board · field

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. field — for sport
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. field — a subject
  14. content — happy
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. board — a committee
  20. clip — a video
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — farmland
  23. content — the amount
  24. bulb — for light

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