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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: stick · scale · jam · trunk · kid · mouse · wave · perch

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kid — child
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — the animal

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