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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — soda
  8. drill — army training
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — a container
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — in music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rest — what's left
  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