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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — after costs
  6. track — to keep track
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of law
  12. stand — to bear
  13. court — for sport
  14. track — a song
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — in sport
  20. track — a path
  21. land — ground
  22. rush — hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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