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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: drill · bulb · bowl · trunk · fall · board · net · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rock — music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. drill — the tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — in sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. drill — army training
  16. net — for catching
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. board — to get on
  23. net — after costs
  24. fall — the season

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