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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stand — to bear
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rash — a series
  19. can — to be able to
  20. object — a thing
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. object — an aim
  24. perch — for a bird

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