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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: hand · scale · fall · perch · staff · rule · rock · cap

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — a lid
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. staff — employees
  7. rule — a law
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rock — music
  13. rule — government
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — help
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cap — of ice

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