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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pass — a permit
  8. staff — a stick
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stock — shares
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. perch — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — employees
  23. rest — what's left
  24. staff — employees

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