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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: firm · jam · field · land · bark · ball · scale · leaves

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. land — a country
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. firm — decided
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. field — for sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ball — a great time
  11. land — to come down
  12. scale — size or range
  13. field — a subject
  14. bark — to shout
  15. field — farmland
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ball — a dance
  20. firm — a company
  21. land — ground
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. firm — steady
  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