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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chest — of your body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spring — of water
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — the season
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chest — a box

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