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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rash — a series
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. roll — a list
  17. current — of water
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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