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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 120 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: court · rest · snap · bulb · ruler · root · bay · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — a break
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — the cause
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to click
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. court — for sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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