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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. plane — a tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. field — a subject
  17. deal — to handle
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. perch — for a bird

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