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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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 — for light
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pop — music
  4. file — a tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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