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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 120 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: fine · kid · sharp · foot · scale · plane

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fine — high quality
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fine — all right
  14. sharp — clever
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kid — to tease

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