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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: game · bear · board · charge · drill · root · bulb · hand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. game — a match
  3. hand — in cards
  4. root — of a word
  5. board — to get on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. root — of a plant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — army training
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. root — the cause
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — electricity
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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