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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: leaves · scale · fall · object · deal · ball · suit · ground

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. object — a thing
  4. suit — in cards
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ground — a position
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fall — the season
  15. object — to protest
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. scale — in music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. object — an aim
  21. ball — a dance
  22. suit — clothes
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — the earth

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