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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: bulb · squash · ball · leaves · board · spell · present · pop

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a great time
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a committee
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pop — soda
  17. present — there
  18. pop — music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  24. leaves — to go away

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