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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: perch · saw · game · jam · date · scale · leaves · key

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — the tool
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. scale — size or range
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. key — for a lock
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. game — a match
  15. key — in music
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. scale — in music
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. key — the most important part
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. game — wild animals

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