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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.

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: perch · mark · season · staff · cell · pitcher · cabinet · can

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. perch — the fish
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. staff — a stick
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — to be able to
  15. season — in sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. season — of the year
  24. cell — in a prison

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