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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: court · chair · perch · fall · scale · deal · bulb · bass

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — in music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bass — low music
  8. fall — the season
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. deal — to handle
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. court — for sport
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bass — the fish
  21. court — of a king
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. court — of law
  24. chair — to sit on

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