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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.

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: staff · plane · scale · lean · court · bowl · kid · pass

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. court — of law
  3. staff — a stick
  4. court — of a king
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kid — child
  8. plane — a tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pass — a permit
  12. scale — in music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — to tease
  17. staff — employees
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. court — for sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — thin

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