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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lie — to recline
  13. charge — a price
  14. club — for golf
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pop — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — to visit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. charge — electricity
  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