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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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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: can · stem · squash · bat · plane · scale · cue · staff

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cue — a signal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cue — for pool
  15. can — to be able to
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. staff — employees
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bat — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — the sport
  24. can — a tin

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