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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. can — to be able to
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chair — a leader
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. band — a ring
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — on the skin

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