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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: fine · saw · ground · leaves · perch · cell · club · staff

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ground — a position
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. staff — employees
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fine — all right
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fine — high quality
  12. club — for golf
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ground — the earth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cell — a phone
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — a group
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. saw — the tool

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