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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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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. land — a country
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. field — farmland
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. field — for sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. land — ground
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bear — the animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — to come down

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