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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — for light
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pound — a weight
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pit — a hole
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pit — in a race
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. date — the fruit

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