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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: scale · kick · content · staff · wake · racket · stand · plane

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. plane — a tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kick — in football
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — employees
  14. content — happy
  15. stand — to bear
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. kick — with a leg

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