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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: perch · wax · ball · chip · jam · rush · cap · bulb

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cap — of ice
  11. perch — the fish
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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