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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: perch · scale · key · spring · present · net · foot · stem

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spring — a coil
  4. scale — in music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — the season
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — the fish
  10. net — in sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — to come from
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. net — for catching
  17. scale — size or range
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. foot — a measure
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spring — of water

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