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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: plane · scale · swing · fork · stock · degree · staff · court

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stock — shares
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. plane — a tool
  12. scale — size or range
  13. degree — from a university
  14. court — of a king
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. staff — employees
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fork — in a road
  24. degree — temperature

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