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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chair — a leader
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bass — low music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. field — a subject
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chair — a professorship

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