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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: can · pop · swing · perch · ball · stem · roll · hand

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. perch — the fish
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — a list
  9. pop — soda
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — help
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — in cards
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ball — a great time
  21. can — a tin
  22. swing — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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