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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. field — farmland
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — to breed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — the fish
  18. field — a subject
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. field — for sport
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mate — a partner
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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