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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. net — in sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. net — for catching
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — after costs
  12. content — the amount
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — to bear
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. squash — the vegetable

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