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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 120 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: mouse · mark · content · present · cap · safe · field · perch

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cap — a hat
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — a grade
  5. present — the time now
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — happy
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — for sport
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. field — a subject
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. field — farmland
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. present — there
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — for a bird

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