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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.

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: perch · mouse · content · track · suit · capital · cell · cabinet

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. capital — a city
  3. cell — in biology
  4. content — happy
  5. track — a song
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. capital — money
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. content — the amount
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. suit — to fit

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