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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: net · tube · rest · suit · present · kid · scale · plane

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kid — child
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rest — a break
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. kid — to tease
  14. scale — in music
  15. net — for catching
  16. present — a gift
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tube — a container
  24. plane — a tool

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