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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — for light
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. capital — money
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. present — a gift
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — the time now
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — a city
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. foot — part of the body

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