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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 120 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: fan · mark · plane · scale · key · wax · bass · pitch

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mark — a grade
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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