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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · foot · perch · last · mouse · content · game · bear

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — wild animals
  4. last — to go on
  5. foot — a measure
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. last — finally

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