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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
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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: bowl · scale · leaves · land · cabinet · foot · game · cue

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. land — a country
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. game — a match
  6. cue — for pool
  7. scale — in music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — ground

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