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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. chair — to sit on

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