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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. perch — the fish

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