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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a music group
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cue — a hint
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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