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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: cabinet · rule · bound · perch · spring · scale · mark · foot

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — tied together
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — a grade
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rule — government
  14. scale — in music
  15. spring — of water
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — obliged
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — a law
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — the fish
  24. foot — a measure

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