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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pop — music
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. last — to go on
  15. land — to come down
  16. last — final
  17. pop — soda
  18. chair — a leader
  19. last — finally
  20. land — a country
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. land — ground

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