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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. current — of water
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. current — happening now
  10. bark — to shout
  11. current — electric
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — completely
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chair — a leader

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