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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.

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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: scale · court · pit · mine · firm · suit · fine · plane

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. mine — for digging
  12. court — of a king
  13. firm — steady
  14. suit — to fit
  15. plane — a tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. court — of law
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. plane — in geometry

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