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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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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: mark · bass · bowl · arm · scale · perch · ground · fall

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bass — the fish
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fall — the season
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ground — a position
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. scale — in music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bass — low music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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