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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · bulb · dip · court · face · rock · lean · pitch

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. court — of a king
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — for sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lean — to bend
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rock — music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — thin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitch — a sports field

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