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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: pit · tear · scale · deal · pop · present · plane · mine

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. present — a gift
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. plane — a tool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pop — music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. present — there
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — the time now
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mine — for digging

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