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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: racket · date · stand · bulb · mark · foot · perch · capital

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. capital — a city
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — money
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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