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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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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: ball · perch · press · firm · rash · wake · pop · scale

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. pop — soda
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rash — hasty
  4. firm — a company
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — to push
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. firm — steady
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. scale — in music
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rash — a series
  19. firm — decided
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  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