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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — in control
  6. chair — a leader
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pop — to visit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. charge — a price
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pop — music

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