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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. land — to come down
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitch — completely
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — finally
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. last — to go on
  20. land — a country
  21. last — final
  22. perch — the fish
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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