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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.

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: racket · face · perch · bass · chair · bowl · roll · can

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bass — low music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — a tin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. can — to be able to
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — a leader
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — part of the head
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. can — a tin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. roll — a list
  20. bass — the fish
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — the instrument

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