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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: content · stand · file · suit · scale · game · perch · tear

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. content — happy
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a document
  7. suit — to fit
  8. game — a match
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tear — from crying
  13. scale — size or range
  14. content — the amount
  15. scale — in music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stand — to bear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tear — to rip
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. suit — in cards
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — for weighing

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