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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: mouse · pit · perch · bulb · march · chest · cap · mate

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — a partner
  18. march — music
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pit — a hole

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