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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chair — a leader
  4. degree — an amount
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. scale — in music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — of the year
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. degree — from a university

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