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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · plane · scale · date · rock · kid · wound · court

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. scale — in music
  2. board — to get on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. court — of a king
  7. kid — to tease
  8. board — a committee
  9. scale — size or range
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — child
  12. rock — a stone
  13. court — of law
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. court — for sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rock — music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — a flat piece
  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