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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 · plane · content · pitcher · fan · bat · lash · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. content — the amount
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — size or range
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — happy
  23. scale — in music
  24. cell — a phone

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