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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bound — obliged
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. land — to come down
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bound — certain
  10. pit — in a race
  11. land — a country
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fall — the season
  14. land — ground
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fall — to drop
  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