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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — in cards
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chest — of your body
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — certain
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chest — a box
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. date — the fruit

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