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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — electricity
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fall — the season
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ground — the earth
  8. charge — in control
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — a price
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — army training
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. drill — a practice

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