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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: row · pound · scale · rush · land · court · fine · leaves

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fine — high quality
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — of a king
  10. pound — a weight
  11. row — to paddle
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. row — a line
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. court — of law
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. scale — size or range

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