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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ball — a dance
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chair — a professorship

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