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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.

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: bat · firm · cell · pop · scale · mouse · mate · plane

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mate — a friend
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. firm — decided
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — a partner
  18. firm — steady
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. plane — in geometry

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