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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. field — a subject
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. swing — music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. swing — in golf
  13. field — farmland
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — for sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. last — finally

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