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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chair — a leader
  6. swing — in golf
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tube — a container
  9. clip — a video
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fork — in a road
  13. clip — to cut
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. swing — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tube — the underground
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ball — a great time

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