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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: pop · perch · bat · track · can · hand · cap · suit

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — a song
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pop — soda
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. cap — of ice
  21. suit — clothes
  22. can — a tin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. hand — help

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