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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.

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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: content · pass · perch · degree · cabinet · rock · can · sharp

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. can — a tin
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. degree — from a university
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — clever
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — temperature
  15. content — the amount
  16. rock — music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. degree — an amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pass — to succeed

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