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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · land · perch · scale · ground · object · leaves · ball

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — a thing
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ball — a dance
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — in music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. object — an aim
  12. ground — a position
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ground — the earth
  15. land — a country
  16. perch — the fish
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ground — crushed
  21. land — to come down
  22. scale — size or range
  23. land — ground
  24. object — to protest

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