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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
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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: content · scale · mark · bound · root · perch · rule · roll

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. content — happy
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. roll — a list
  7. content — the amount
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bound — certain
  15. rule — a law
  16. bound — tied together
  17. perch — the fish
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. scale — in music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mark — a trace
  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