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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. scale — size or range
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — to bear
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — for light
  12. last — finally
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. perch — the fish
  17. last — final
  18. scale — in music
  19. last — to go on
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. prune — to trim

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