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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rock — a stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — high quality
  16. band — a ring
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — the fish
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cue — for pool
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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