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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. band — a ring
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a music group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — to grow
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rest — what's left

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