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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a leader
  3. land — a country
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. land — ground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. land — to come down
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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