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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.

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: toast · cap · pitch · fine · perch · saw · lean · scale

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. saw — the tool
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. perch — the fish
  23. scale — in music
  24. fine — a penalty

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