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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 · kick · ground · object · ruler · hide

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ground — a position
  4. object — to protest
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ground — the earth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — an aim
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — in music

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