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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: row · mate · chest · land · mark · perch · tube · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. tube — a container
  4. row — a line
  5. chest — of your body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chest — a box
  9. land — to come down
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mate — a partner
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — ground
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mate — a friend
  24. scale — for weighing

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