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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 120 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: season · row · perch · cold · fine · bound · ruler · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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 — in music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. season — in sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — certain
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fine — all right
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cold — an illness
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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