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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 · mug · mark · board · drill · land · spell · ruler

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a committee
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. land — to come down
  9. drill — army training
  10. mark — a trace
  11. land — a country
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — letters
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. spell — magic
  19. land — ground
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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