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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: scale · wind · court · ball · suit · staff · saw · date

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. court — of law
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. court — for sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ball — a great time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — of a king
  19. wind — moving air
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. staff — a stick
  22. scale — size or range
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wind — moving air

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