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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pit — in a race
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — help
  7. firm — steady
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. net — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. hand — in cards
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — of a plant

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