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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. present — a gift
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — the sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. present — there
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. present — the time now
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. squash — to crush
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — a measure

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