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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'll be taking 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. chair — a professorship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spring — the season
  6. ground — the earth
  7. spring — of water
  8. ground — crushed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — a coil
  17. tube — a container
  18. chair — a leader
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tube — the underground
  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