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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
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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: game · content · arm · key · present · perch · cap · scale

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. perch — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. content — the amount
  9. present — there
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. game — a match
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. game — wild animals
  19. content — happy
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — of ice
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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