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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — all right
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ball — a great time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bulb — for light
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fine — high quality

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