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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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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: tube · deal · coach · rest · object · scale · fan · plane

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. object — to protest
  4. tube — the underground
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — a container
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. object — an aim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — a thing
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — to handle
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rest — what's left

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