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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: suit · club · perch · rush · spring · pit · bulb · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — a trail
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spring — of water
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spring — the season
  21. pit — a hole
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — a coil
  24. club — a group

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