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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: sharp · ball · perch · content · foot · lash · cap · scale

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. content — the amount
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ball — a dance
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — happy
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. scale — in music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ball — a round shape

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