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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. drill — army training
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a word
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — of a river
  13. root — the cause
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. root — of a plant
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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