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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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Word bank
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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: roll · kid · track · bulb · straw · foot · season · chair

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. roll — a list
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chair — a leader
  5. track — a song
  6. kid — to tease
  7. season — in sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. track — a path
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — to keep track
  17. foot — a measure
  18. season — of the year
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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