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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · land · fan · pitch · perch · scale · foot · mouse

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. scale — in music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. land — ground
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. scale — size or range
  19. land — to come down
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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