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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.

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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — happy
  11. hand — help
  12. cap — a hat
  13. press — to push
  14. content — the amount
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — electric
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. perch — the fish
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bowl — a dish

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