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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. scale — in music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. perch — the fish
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hand — in cards
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. perch — for a bird

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