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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: scale · board · game · bulb · pop · land · bowl · saw

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — a country
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — in music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — to get on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. board — a committee
  19. land — ground
  20. pop — soda
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. land — to come down
  24. scale — size or range

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