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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: stem · perch · season · scale · can · clip · suit · file

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. season — of the year
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stem — to come from
  6. can — a tin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. file — a document
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. clip — a video
  13. file — a tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a line of people
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — in sport
  18. scale — size or range
  19. suit — to fit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — in music
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. clip — for paper

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