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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: rock · safe · board · present · bulb · net · court · temple

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — for catching
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. board — a committee
  5. present — there
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. present — a gift
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — of a king
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — for sport
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — to get on
  20. net — in sport
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of law
  24. net — after costs

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