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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: scale · date · plane · race · pop · hand · current · file

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. race — a contest
  4. file — a tool
  5. current — of water
  6. scale — size or range
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pop — to visit
  9. file — a document
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. file — a line of people
  12. current — happening now
  13. hand — in cards
  14. race — humankind
  15. hand — help
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pop — music
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — soda
  22. scale — in music
  23. current — electric
  24. plane — a tool

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