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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.

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: bay · perch · bat · content · lean · pitcher · can · key

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. content — happy
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. key — in music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — thin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — the most important part
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. key — for a lock
  18. content — the amount
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — the animal

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