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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.

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: suit · perch · pop · scale · mark · stem · vault · racket

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — to come from
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — the fish
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pop — soda
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. scale — in music
  23. pop — music
  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