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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · board · net · tube · wind · bulb · march · court

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — for sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. court — of a king
  23. tube — a container
  24. present — a gift

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