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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 116 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: land · pop · kick · pit · scale · hide · mark · leaves

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. land — a country
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — to visit
  5. scale — size or range
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pop — music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pop — soda
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pit — in a race
  19. land — ground
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. scale — in music

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