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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wake — a trail
  10. kid — to tease
  11. firm — a company
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kid — child
  16. firm — decided
  17. capital — a city
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. firm — steady
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. capital — money
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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