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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. last — finally
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. last — final
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. squash — to crush
  19. last — to go on
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — the vegetable

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