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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: coach · object · land · rest · perch · leaves · rule · court

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — a thing
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. perch — the fish
  8. court — for sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. court — of law
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of a king
  13. land — a country
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. land — ground
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. object — to protest
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — a law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — an aim

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