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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bass — low music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. march — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wax — in the ear
  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