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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: key · foot · toast · band · season · staff · perch · scale

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — the most important part
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — size or range
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — a measure
  12. scale — in music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. perch — the fish
  17. key — in music
  18. season — in sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — of the year
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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