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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — goods
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — to breed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stock — shares

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