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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · mine · straw · bulb · charge · pitch · court · perch

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — completely
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of law
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. charge — electricity
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. scale — in music
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. court — for sport
  18. charge — in control
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — of a king
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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