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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 · pitch · prune · leaves · current · drill · perch · ground

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. ground — a position
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — to go away

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