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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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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: foot · pitch · bulb · perch · leaves · pass · stem · racket

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pass — a permit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stem — to come from
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitch — a sports field

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