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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. land — a country
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pop — soda
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — in music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. pop — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bound — obliged
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — certain
  24. bulb — of a plant

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