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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: ball · prune · field · rash · bulb · mark · board · present

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — the time now
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — a gift
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rash — a series
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. prune — to trim
  15. board — a committee
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. present — there
  23. field — for sport
  24. rash — hasty

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