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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 124 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: scale · present · root · kick · firm · wave · perch · game

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. perch — the fish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. firm — decided
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. root — of a word
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — in football
  20. present — the time now
  21. root — of a plant
  22. firm — steady
  23. root — the cause
  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