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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: scale · game · roll · staff · leaves · date · land · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. scale — in music
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. game — a match
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — to come down
  18. game — wild animals
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. scale — size or range
  23. date — the fruit
  24. game — a kind of play

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