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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: board · cue · trunk · content · pitch · bass · bulb · race

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. board — a committee
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bass — low music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. race — a contest
  10. cue — a signal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — humankind
  22. pitch — completely
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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