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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · drill · bulb · march · net · stand · spell · rest

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. drill — army training
  4. march — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — after costs
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — for catching
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spell — a short time
  14. march — the month
  15. net — in sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bulb — for light

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