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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. content — the amount
  3. face — part of the head
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stem — to come from
  19. content — happy
  20. face — to point toward
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — to be able to
  24. face — to confront

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