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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stock — shares
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — goods
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — a strongbox

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