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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spring — the season
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — to visit
  10. staff — employees
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pop — soda
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — of water
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. staff — a stick
  22. drill — army training
  23. perch — the fish
  24. drill — a practice

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