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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · perch · spell · ground · file · bay · can · content

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. content — the amount
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — the fish
  12. can — to be able to
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ground — the earth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — letters
  23. tube — a container
  24. spell — magic

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