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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.

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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: band · object · mark · rock · saw · land · ground · perch

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. object — a thing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — the earth
  9. land — to come down
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — to protest
  14. mark — a grade
  15. band — a music group
  16. rock — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. perch — the fish
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. land — a country
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — an aim

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