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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a grade

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