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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: cue · fine · perch · bass · chest · scale · rush · firm

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — high quality
  3. firm — steady
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fine — all right
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — in music
  12. firm — decided
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. firm — a company
  19. chest — a box
  20. bass — the fish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cue — a hint

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