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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · perch · tear · board · rule · ball · bulb · game

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. board — to get on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ball — a dance
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. perch — the fish
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rule — a law
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. board — a committee
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rule — government
  23. perch — for a bird
  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