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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: wake · perch · bulb · can · tear · suit · mine · pitcher

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. suit — clothes
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — a trail
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — in cards

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