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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: cell · can · kick · perch · pop · rush · bass · mine

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bass — low music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. can — to be able to
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. kick — in football
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pop — music

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