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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 116 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: ball · tear · board · pound · bulb · club · content · plane

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. club — a group
  3. tear — from crying
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. board — to get on
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. club — for golf
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ball — a great time
  12. content — the amount
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tear — from crying
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tear — to rip
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bulb — for light

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