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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. chair — a leader
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — child
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — a weight
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. season — of the year
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. season — to add flavour

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