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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bulb — for light
  6. dip — to sink
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a path
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pit — in a race
  24. track — a song

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