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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — in a race

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