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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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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ground — crushed
  3. last — finally
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ground — a position
  6. last — to go on
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. key — in music
  10. present — a gift
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — the most important part
  20. present — the time now
  21. last — final
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bulb — for light

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