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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. root — of a word
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. root — the cause
  8. field — for sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. root — of a plant
  11. toast — bread
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — a company
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chair — a leader
  23. tube — the underground
  24. field — farmland

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