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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 116 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.

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: scale · perch · key · kid · squash · current · wave · spring

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — the fish
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. key — in music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spring — a coil
  12. current — of water
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — electric
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. squash — to crush
  22. current — happening now
  23. scale — in music
  24. kid — child

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