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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — in football
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spell — a short time
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — completely
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — to be able to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. sharp — with an edge

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