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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.

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: content · mug · cap · straw · band · scale · perch · fine

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — in music
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. band — a music group
  12. cap — of ice
  13. scale — size or range
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — a hat
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. content — the amount
  21. mug — to rob
  22. content — happy
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cap — a lid

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