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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: cap · track · mine · bulb · lean · date · perch · mouse

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lean — to bend
  6. track — a path
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. track — to keep track
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mine — for digging
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a song
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — thin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — the fish

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