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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. capital — money
  24. bulb — for light

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