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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
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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: pit · cap · bulb · object · sharp · perch · fan · temple

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. object — an aim
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pit — a hole
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pit — in a race
  19. sharp — clever
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — a thing

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