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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fine — all right
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. toast — bread
  21. can — a tin
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mark — a trace

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