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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: board · mug · game · present · object · lean · bulb · pitch

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mug — to rob
  6. object — to protest
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. object — an aim
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — to get on
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mug — a face
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — a cup
  22. present — a gift
  23. object — a thing
  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