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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. perch — the fish
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bulb — for light
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. sharp — clever

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