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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
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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: suit · date · court · content · scale · plane · wax · chair

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. plane — a tool
  3. suit — in cards
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. court — of law
  8. wax — to grow
  9. content — happy
  10. court — for sport
  11. date — the fruit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. content — the amount
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. court — of a king
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. suit — to fit
  24. date — on the calendar

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