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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: mug · cold · fine · can · coach · roll · perch · pop

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pop — to visit
  8. roll — a cake
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fine — all right
  16. mug — a face
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. roll — a list
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cold — an illness
  24. can — to be able to

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