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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. clip — to cut
  20. object — a thing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. coach — a trainer

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