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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: stand · pop · bulb · pitcher · land · wake · board · drill

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pop — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. land — a country
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — to visit
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. drill — army training
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pop — soda
  24. land — ground

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