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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to click
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — the fish
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. drill — army training
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. squash — to crush
  16. scale — in music
  17. toast — bread
  18. drill — a practice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — the tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — the sport
  24. scale — for weighing

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