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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · perch · rash · date · present · board · arm · game

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rash — a series
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — there
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. game — a match
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — hasty
  17. board — to get on
  18. content — happy
  19. date — the fruit
  20. content — the amount
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. present — a gift
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. present — the time now

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