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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — a stick
  3. chair — a leader
  4. charge — electricity
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. land — a country
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — to come down
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a match
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wax — to grow
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. charge — in control

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