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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 116 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: ball · last · pass · bowl · plane · current · content · perch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. current — of water
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. last — final
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. perch — the fish
  10. current — happening now
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — electric
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. content — the amount
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. plane — a tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. content — happy
  23. pass — a permit
  24. perch — for a bird

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