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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.

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: rule · perch · pop · scale · season · hide · cabinet · stick

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — government
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — of the year
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rule — a law
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. perch — the fish
  20. season — in sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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