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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: swing · mug · cap · pound · safe · perch · bulb · game

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. swing — music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cap — a hat
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mug — to rob
  12. perch — the fish
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. game — a match
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cap — a lid
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. perch — for a bird

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