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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. capital — a city
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. capital — money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — a hint
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wound — an injury

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