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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: scale · stand · rush · key · net · season · perch · pass

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. scale — size or range
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — hurry
  8. scale — in music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — in sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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