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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: field · snap · last · perch · bulb · toast · pop · arm

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — to go on
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — for sport
  6. snap — to click
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. toast — bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. pop — soda
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pop — music
  18. last — finally
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. field — farmland
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. perch — the fish
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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