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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stock — shares
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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