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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · saw · cap · bowl · bat · roll · perch · date

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. perch — the fish
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a list
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bat — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cap — of ice
  19. date — the fruit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. bowl — a dish

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