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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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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: kid · chair · scale · plane · pass · deal · band · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chair — a leader
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. band — a ring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — a permit
  17. band — a music group
  18. kid — child
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. scale — size or range
  22. plane — a tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. pass — to spend time

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