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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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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: kick · squash · perch · court · wave · mark · scale · rest

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — the fish
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. court — for sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. scale — in music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. scale — size or range

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