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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.

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: cabinet · fork · mate · stock · scale · pop · file · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — a partner
  3. file — a document
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — soda
  13. file — a tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stock — shares
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. scale — size or range
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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