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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. file — a document
  14. march — the month
  15. file — a tool
  16. suit — clothes
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. file — a line of people
  23. perch — the fish
  24. suit — to fit

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