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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: pop · game · bound · bulb · rule · stick · board · pitch

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — a committee
  11. bound — certain
  12. game — a match
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rule — a law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — completely
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rule — government
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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