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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: bulb · fine · squash · trunk · perch · mark · game · wax

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fine — all right
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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