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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. capital — a city
  6. mug — a face
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. capital — money
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tube — a container
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — a big letter

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