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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · suit · content · perch · land · present · can · club

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. content — happy
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — the time now
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — to fit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rash — a series
  10. suit — in cards
  11. club — a group
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. suit — clothes
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. land — ground
  20. club — for golf
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. content — the amount
  23. present — there
  24. can — a tin

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