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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · march · firm · mine · perch · cabinet · fan

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — decided
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mine — for digging
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. firm — a company
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — music
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. firm — steady
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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