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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: prune · scale · lie · pitcher · perch · content · hide · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. perch — the fish
  8. content — happy
  9. lie — to recline
  10. scale — size or range
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — to breed
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hide — to keep secret

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