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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pitch — completely
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pop — soda
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — the fish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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