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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spell — magic
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spell — letters
  14. suit — to fit
  15. land — to come down
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — a country
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — ground

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