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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 120 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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 — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cap — a lid
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. suit — to fit
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cap — a hat
  17. drill — army training
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — completely
  22. foot — a measure
  23. suit — in cards
  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