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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cap — a lid
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. club — for golf
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. season — in sport
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stock — goods
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stock — shares
  15. cap — a hat
  16. season — of the year
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — a list
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. club — a group
  23. perch — the fish
  24. season — to add flavour

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