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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
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: bulb · fall · swing · pitch · spring · perch · object · stock

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — a coil
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. object — a thing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — completely
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fall — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. fall — to drop
  14. swing — in golf
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stock — goods
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stock — shares
  21. spring — the season
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — a soup base

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