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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. band — a ring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. band — a music group
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rest — a break
  20. mug — to rob
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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