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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — the fish
  4. march — the month
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — a subject
  9. object — to protest
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. object — a thing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. object — an aim
  24. leaves — lets stay

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