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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 120 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: perch · pop · season · fan · mug · scale · dip · mouse

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. season — in sport
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mug — a face
  6. scale — in music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pop — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pop — to visit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — size or range
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pop — soda

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