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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chest — a box
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chest — of your body
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — to be able to

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