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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: track · bulb · board · staff · hand · pop · calf · sharp

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. hand — help
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. pop — music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — to visit
  14. track — a path
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hand — in cards
  17. board — a committee
  18. staff — a stick
  19. track — to keep track
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a song

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