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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.

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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: scale · mate · tear · roll · bay · perch · staff · squash

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. staff — employees
  7. tear — to rip
  8. roll — a cake
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. roll — a list
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — a stick
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. squash — the sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. scale — in music
  24. tear — from crying

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