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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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Word bank
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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: jam · ball · sharp · perch · lash · straw · pop · bulb

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. perch — the fish
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. sharp — clever
  24. jam — a tight spot

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