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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 116 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: object · scale · lash · cap · bank · stick · leaves · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cap — of ice
  7. object — an aim
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. court — of a king
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. object — to protest
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. court — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. object — a thing
  17. bank — for money
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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