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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 116 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: bulb · rule · perch · mark · pitch · clip · bore · bay

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bore — to tire
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rule — a law
  12. clip — a video
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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