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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: rush · cap · board · race · chip · bulb · calf · perch

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — a committee
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bulb — for light
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. race — humankind
  9. cap — a lid
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. race — a contest
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. race — the arms race

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