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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — happening now
  12. cap — of ice
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. current — electric
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitch — completely
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — of water
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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