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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. scale — in music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. season — in sport
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. club — a group
  15. root — of a plant
  16. club — for dancing
  17. season — of the year
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. club — for golf

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