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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stem — to come from
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — to handle
  15. staff — employees
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. roll — a cake
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. roll — a list
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ball — a dance

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