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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: rock · wake · plane · cap · chip · present · scale · suit

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. suit — to fit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. present — a gift
  8. scale — size or range
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rock — music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — of ice
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. present — there

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