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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. object — an aim
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cap — a hat
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. race — the arms race
  13. kid — to tease
  14. swing — music
  15. race — humankind
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. race — a contest
  18. swing — to play on
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. kid — child
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — of ice
  24. trunk — of a car

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