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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 112 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: mug · scale · ground · wound · perch · tube · rush · pass

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mug — a face
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — to rob
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pass — a permit
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tube — a container
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. scale — in music

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