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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pop — soda
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — a face
  13. pop — music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mug — a cup
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — out of danger

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