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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — a match
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. present — there
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. present — a gift
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. present — the time now

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