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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.

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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: capital · scale · perch · leaves · deal · foot · bark · bank

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. capital — a city
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bark — to shout
  11. capital — money
  12. scale — in music
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. scale — size or range
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — of a tree

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