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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: bay · wound · ground · mug · perch · rash · bulb · ball

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — a series
  10. wound — an injury
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — a face
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ball — a great time

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