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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cold · key · game · rest · ground · craft · plane

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ground — a position
  4. cold — an illness
  5. craft — a skill
  6. plane — a tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — the most important part
  9. scale — in music
  10. rest — a break
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — the earth
  19. craft — boats
  20. game — a match
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cold — not warm

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