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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: stem · bat · swing · suit · foot · bulb · sharp · perch

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. foot — a measure
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — to play on
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — the fish
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stem — to come from
  22. swing — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — a stem cell

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