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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — in a race
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. field — for sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. race — a contest
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bore — to tire
  17. race — humankind
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bear — the animal

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