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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — the fish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — the month
  6. root — of a word
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stock — goods
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. root — the cause
  16. stock — shares
  17. march — the month
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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