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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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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: perch · tear · roll · staff · track · arm · can · cue

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cue — a hint
  3. roll — a list
  4. staff — employees
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — a path
  12. staff — a stick
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — to rip
  18. perch — the fish
  19. roll — a cake
  20. can — to be able to
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — a part of something

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