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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. club — a group
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — in sport
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chest — of your body
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chest — a box
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. drill — army training
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — a phone

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