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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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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: content · board · bat · rest · bulb · racket · calf · stick

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — a committee
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — the amount
  16. rest — a break
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. content — happy
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. board — a flat piece

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