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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: row · bulb · chest · bowl · pass · cap · board · court

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. row — a line
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chest — a box
  7. court — of law
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chest — of your body
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. court — for sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. court — of a king
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. board — a committee
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cap — a hat

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