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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 · net · scale · season · degree · lie · jam · suit

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. perch — the fish
  7. season — of the year
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — in sport
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. degree — an amount
  16. suit — to fit
  17. scale — in music
  18. net — after costs
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. degree — from a university
  22. net — for catching
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. scale — size or range

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