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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: perch · pitch · wind · racket · bulb · bear · foot · cabinet

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. perch — the fish
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wind — to turn a key

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