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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.

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: saw · pit · perch · scale · foot · squash · fine · band

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. squash — the sport
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fine — all right
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — a measure
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — in music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. band — a music group
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pit — a hole

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