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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: stand · suit · mine · foot · leaves · court · scale · roll

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — of a king
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. court — for sport
  8. mine — for digging
  9. court — of law
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. roll — a cake
  19. foot — a measure
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. leaves — of a tree

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