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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. last — finally
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — to keep track
  13. perch — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. last — final
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — a grade
  19. last — to go on
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a trace

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