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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — decided
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — boats
  10. firm — a company
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. kid — child
  13. firm — steady
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bark — to shout
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. craft — a skill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pound — for dogs

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