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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spring — of water
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. club — a group
  10. craft — boats
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. club — for golf
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — certain
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — obliged
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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