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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — to push
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. season — of the year
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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