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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. fine — high quality
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fine — all right
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. band — a ring
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pop — soda
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. net — in sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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