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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kid — child
  3. field — farmland
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. charge — in control
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bulb — for light
  19. field — for sport
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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