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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: scale · staff · file · rest · key · safe · prune · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — a stick
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a document
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rest — a break
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. scale — in music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — the fish
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  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