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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — a gift
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — there
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — the time now

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