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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: plane · jam · ground · cue · perch · cold · scale · stick

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ground — a position
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. scale — size or range
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cue — a signal

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