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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: scale · date · staff · temple · leaves · last · ground · roll

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. staff — employees
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — a list
  7. ground — the earth
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. last — finally
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. scale — size or range
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. roll — a cake
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. scale — in music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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