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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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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: toast · pound · roll · perch · content · cabinet · stem · arm

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. roll — a cake
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. content — happy
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a list
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. content — the amount
  17. stem — to come from
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pound — a weight
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. toast — bread
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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