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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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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 · perch · bat · bear · sharp · foot · pitcher · stand

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — on your feet

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