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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 116 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: scale · wave · hide · pop · plane · bat · court · fine

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. court — for sport
  3. pop — to visit
  4. scale — in music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pop — soda
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pop — music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fine — all right
  24. bat — for baseball

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