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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: land · perch · hide · net · swing · bulb · lean · ball

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. land — a country
  4. lean — thin
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lean — to bend
  8. land — to come down
  9. ball — a great time
  10. net — for catching
  11. swing — in golf
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — ground
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — to play on

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