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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. object — to protest
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. present — there
  9. cap — a hat
  10. scale — size or range
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. band — a ring
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. present — the time now
  18. cap — a lid
  19. object — an aim
  20. cap — of ice
  21. present — a gift
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. object — a thing
  24. wave — of the sea

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