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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. firm — a company
  6. kid — child
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. swing — in golf
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. firm — steady
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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