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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 · stand · perch · fork · tear · sharp · firm · cap

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — in music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — size or range
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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