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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a music group
  6. rock — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — the fish
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. bat — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. band — a ring
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. staff — a stick
  24. perch — for a bird

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