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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chair — a leader
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. shower — rain
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. shower — to wash
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. scale — in music

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