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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · perch · rash · net · spell · stick · spring · scale

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. perch — the fish
  3. object — to protest
  4. net — for catching
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. net — in sport
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. scale — in music
  10. object — a thing
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. net — after costs
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — magic
  18. object — an aim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. spring — the season

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