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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. firm — a company
  6. present — a gift
  7. roll — a cake
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. roll — a list
  11. firm — decided
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — the amount
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. net — after costs
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — for catching
  18. content — happy
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — steady
  22. present — there
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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