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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fine — all right
  9. land — a country
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — to come down
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — a stone
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — ground
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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