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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · perch · jam · toast · prune · swing

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. swing — in golf
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. toast — bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. perch — the fish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. swing — music

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