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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 · bowl · tube · board · ground · perch · current · object

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. object — to protest
  3. ground — the earth
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — an aim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. current — electric
  10. tube — a container
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. board — a committee
  15. ground — a position
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. current — happening now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. current — of water

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