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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 116 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cue — a signal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. root — the cause
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. net — in sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a word
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cue — for pool
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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