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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 116 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: trunk · mark · club · bulb · spell · board · drill · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mark — a trace
  9. club — for dancing
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — to get on
  13. club — for golf
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. club — a group
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. spell — magic
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  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