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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · bulb · row · track · pop · board · fan · kick

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spell — magic
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kick — in football
  13. board — to get on
  14. row — a line
  15. pop — soda
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — music
  23. track — a path
  24. row — to paddle

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