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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: row · fall · club · plane · spell · pit · can · scale

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pit — a hole
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. club — a group
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spell — letters
  10. row — a line
  11. fall — the season
  12. scale — in music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — magic
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — in a race
  21. plane — a tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. club — for golf
  24. can — to be able to

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