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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: calf · key · can · perch · bat · pop · content · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. content — the amount
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. content — happy
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pop — to visit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — for a lock

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