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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: rest · cap · perch · deal · pop · mug · roll · scale

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mug — a cup
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — to visit
  6. roll — a list
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — in music
  9. pop — music
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mug — to rob
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rest — a break
  16. cap — a hat
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mug — a face
  19. pop — soda
  20. perch — the fish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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