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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: rash · can · scale · ball · lash · perch · pop · stem

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pop — music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — to be able to
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — soda
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pop — to visit
  24. can — a tin

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