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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. firm — decided
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. land — ground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — to come down
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — steady
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. firm — a company

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