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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: net · pound · fan · foot · pop · scale · leaves · perch

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. net — in sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. net — after costs
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. scale — in music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. scale — for weighing

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