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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.

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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: pass · mug · plane · chip · rash · season · ball · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mug — a face
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. season — in sport
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. scale — in music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mug — to rob
  15. plane — a tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rash — a series
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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