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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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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 · pound · tear · ruler · staff · perch · stick · wound

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pound — a weight
  9. scale — in music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — employees
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — employees
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wound — an injury

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