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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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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: club · fine · charge · dip · arm · plane · scale · roll

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. club — a group
  8. charge — in control
  9. plane — a tool
  10. club — for golf
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. charge — a price
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. roll — a cake
  19. scale — size or range
  20. roll — a list
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. charge — electricity
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. dip — to sink

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