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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · ball · pop · pitch · bulb · file · rash · mate

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mate — to breed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ball — a dance
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pop — music
  19. rash — a series
  20. file — a document
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pop — soda

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