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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 116 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: capital · board · bore · scale · rest · wax · kick · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — a break
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — to grow
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kick — in football
  16. scale — size or range
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bore — to tire
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. board — to get on
  21. perch — the fish
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. bore — gave birth

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