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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: rest · can · jam · stem · perch · saw · bat · chair

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chair — a leader
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. perch — the fish
  10. can — to be able to
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stem — to come from
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. saw — the tool

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