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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. season — of the year
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. firm — a company
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stock — shares
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. mark — a trace
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bulb — for light

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