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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
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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: chair · scale · plane · capital · cap · swing · staff · current

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. current — happening now
  3. staff — employees
  4. scale — in music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. current — of water
  7. scale — size or range
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cap — a lid
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cap — a hat
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. capital — a city
  21. cap — of ice
  22. current — electric
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. capital — money

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