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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: court · pop · bulb · bark · mug · band · board · fine

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. band — a music group
  4. court — for sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of a king
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. fine — all right
  12. pop — to visit
  13. court — of law
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pop — music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — to shout
  24. board — a committee

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