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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kick — in football
  6. present — a gift
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a document
  9. present — the time now
  10. capital — a city
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. staff — employees
  13. capital — money
  14. present — there
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. staff — employees
  24. capital — a big letter

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