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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: object · perch · can · shower · bulb · stock · foot · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — magic
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. stock — goods
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. shower — rain
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stock — shares
  22. object — a thing
  23. spell — a short time
  24. object — an aim

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