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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: deal · mate · game · wake · mouse · scale · perch · fall

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — in music
  7. game — a match
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. scale — size or range
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mate — a friend
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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