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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
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: scale · perch · fall · pass · bound · bear · leaves · prune

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pass — a permit
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — the season
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bear — the animal

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