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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — all right
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. net — in sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. net — for catching
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. perch — the fish
  24. deal — to handle

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