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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
468
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: pop · spell · degree · trunk · club · plane · scale · saw

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. plane — a tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — magic
  5. club — for golf
  6. degree — temperature
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spell — letters
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pop — to visit
  12. scale — in music
  13. pop — soda
  14. club — for dancing
  15. spell — a short time
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. scale — size or range
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pop — music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. club — a group

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