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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — a partner
  11. march — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. drill — army training

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