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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: clip · plane · scale · roll · nail · game · squash · key

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. roll — a list
  3. clip — for paper
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. plane — a tool
  7. clip — to cut
  8. scale — size or range
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. game — a match
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. key — the most important part
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. squash — to crush
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. squash — the sport

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