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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: hide · perch · root · cap · wound · scale · game · cue

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. scale — in music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. perch — the fish
  19. root — the cause
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — of ice
  23. root — of a word
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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