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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bass — low music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. present — a gift
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — the time now
  24. bowl — a dish

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