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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wake — a trail
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — an injury
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. can — a tin
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. capital — money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a city
  21. ground — a position
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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