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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — to grow
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a path
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. roll — a list

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