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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — soda
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — to visit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rest — a break
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. board — to get on
  19. pop — music
  20. board — a committee
  21. content — happy
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — for a bird

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