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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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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: row · rule · bulb · face · pitch · perch · foot · cue

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — for pool
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. row — a line
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rule — government
  15. perch — the fish
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rule — a law
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — part of the head
  24. row — to paddle

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