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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 120 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: pit · bulb · foot · capital · perch · scale · court · dip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bulb — for light
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. perch — the fish
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. court — of law
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. scale — size or range
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. capital — a city
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pit — in a race
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. foot — a measure
  19. court — of a king
  20. capital — money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a hole
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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