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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bass — low music
  4. net — in sport
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. perch — the fish
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. board — to get on
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — bread
  14. bass — the fish
  15. row — a line
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — the amount
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — to paddle
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — a flat piece

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