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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 120 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: saw · scale · stand · current · leaves · perch · fine · cold

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. fine — high quality
  7. current — of water
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fine — all right
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stand — to bear
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. current — electric
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. scale — in music
  18. cold — an illness
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cold — not warm
  24. perch — for a bird

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