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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — to breed
  4. march — music
  5. pop — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pop — soda
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mug — a face
  13. perch — the fish
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mug — a cup
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mate — a partner
  24. coach — a trainer

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