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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 · track · pop · pitch · land · wave · bulb · pound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pop — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. track — a path
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. track — a song
  12. land — a country
  13. board — a committee
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pop — soda
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — to come down
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pop — to visit
  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