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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. pit — in a race
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rule — government
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — army training
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — the tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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