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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — the amount
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. perch — the fish
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — all right
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — there
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. present — a gift
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — happy
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — the time now
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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