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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.

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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: season · net · object · scale · perch · plane · hand · tube

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. hand — help
  3. season — of the year
  4. object — a thing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — in sport
  8. scale — in music
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. object — an aim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — in sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hand — in cards
  21. net — for catching
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. scale — size or range

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