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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chair — a leader
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. toast — bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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