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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — electric
  5. object — to protest
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. object — an aim
  12. firm — a company
  13. current — happening now
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. firm — steady
  17. track — a path
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. current — of water
  22. object — a thing
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wax — to grow

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