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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: stock · cell · plane · scale · fan · bowl · key · ball

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — a tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stock — shares
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stock — goods
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cell — a phone
  24. key — in music

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