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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitch — completely
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — for light
  19. squash — the sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — the animal

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