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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. foot — a measure
  7. content — happy
  8. cap — a lid
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pop — soda
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pop — music
  24. suit — to fit

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