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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 120 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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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: cell · chair · present · rock · pound · bulb · trunk · board

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — there
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. present — a gift
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cell — in biology
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pound — a weight
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. present — the time now

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