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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 120 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: bay · trunk · cap · pitch · mark · perch · court · bulb

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cap — of ice
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cap — a hat
  9. court — of law
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cap — a lid
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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