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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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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: pop · face · present · staff · perch · roll · row · jam

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. row — to paddle
  5. present — a gift
  6. staff — employees
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. roll — a cake
  11. face — part of the head
  12. staff — employees
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. roll — a list
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. face — to confront
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pop — to visit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. row — a line
  24. staff — a stick

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