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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: rock · cap · chip · fall · can · content · perch · jam

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fall — the season
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — a hat
  14. content — the amount
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fall — to drop
  19. content — happy
  20. can — to be able to
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a lid
  24. jam — in traffic

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