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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 116 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: rash · cabinet · scale · rest · plane · perch · stock · bat

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — the fish
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — goods
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — hasty
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — a series
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. scale — size or range

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