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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: mine · content · pop · perch · roll · staff · hide · date

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — the amount
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. staff — a stick
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pop — soda
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — employees
  16. roll — a cake
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. content — happy
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pop — music
  24. staff — employees

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