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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. land — to come down
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — ground
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  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