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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.

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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: bulb · march · rush · safe · pop · spell · content · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. march — music
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — the amount
  12. spell — letters
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spell — magic
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. march — the month
  22. pop — to visit
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — hurry

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