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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: bulb · toast · track · cell · roll · swing · chair · pass

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. track — a path
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cell — a phone
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cell — in biology
  10. track — a song
  11. roll — a list
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — a permit
  14. roll — a cake
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bulb — for light
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. swing — music

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