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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · bore · perch · chair · mine · mug · bulb · coach

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mug — a face
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — to tire
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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