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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 120 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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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: stem · craft · shower · rest · bulb · perch · deal · pitch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — a break
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bulb — for light
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stem — to come from

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