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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cap — of ice
  4. content — the amount
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — a tin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a music group
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. scale — size or range
  17. content — happy
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — to be able to
  22. band — a ring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a lid

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