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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cell — in biology
  4. roll — a list
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cell — a phone
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. roll — a cake
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pass — a permit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cell — in a prison

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