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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. content — happy
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. perch — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — a tin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cap — of ice
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a lid
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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