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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: scale · foot · perch · object · mark · charge · cold · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — the fish
  4. foot — a measure
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — a price
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a trace
  9. object — a thing
  10. bank — of a river
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cold — an illness
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. scale — in music
  20. object — to protest
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — an aim
  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