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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bulb — for light
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — shares
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stock — goods
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — a stone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — a garden tool

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