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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · bulb · chair · pit · firm · calf

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — a phone
  11. chair — a leader
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — a hole

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