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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: bulb · track · sharp · perch · mark · rock · land · pop

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pop — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rock — a stone
  5. track — a song
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rock — music
  9. land — ground
  10. pop — to visit
  11. land — to come down
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — a country
  21. pop — soda
  22. track — a path
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rock — to move gently

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