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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · fall · can · band · pop · bowl · perch · bay

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — to be able to
  5. net — in sport
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — the season
  9. net — after costs
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — music
  13. band — a music group
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. net — for catching
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — soda
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. perch — the fish
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — to visit
  24. perch — for a bird

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