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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — to play on
  5. march — music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. march — the month
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. firm — decided
  14. bat — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. swing — music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cue — a signal
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. swing — in golf

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