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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: face · scale · prune · pit · staff · swing · perch · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. face — to confront
  12. perch — the fish
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. scale — in music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — part of the head
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pit — in a race
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. perch — for a bird

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