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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: object · perch · cell · staff · rule · row · scale · rush

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. row — a line
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — in music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. object — a thing
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. rule — a law
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. staff — employees
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rule — government
  18. object — an aim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cell — in biology
  24. object — to protest

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