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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. board — a committee
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — to get on
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. board — a flat piece

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