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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · spring · arm · pitch · current · cabinet · chip · perch

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — happening now
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spring — the season
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. current — electric
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — of water
  19. scale — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. current — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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