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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: game · scale · mine · bowl · can · foot · cue · plane

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. scale — in music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  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