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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: pitcher · bulb · pop · foot · club · march · perch · racket

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. foot — a measure
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — to visit
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. march — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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