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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: track · face · mate · scale · ball · object · plane · arm

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ball — a dance
  4. track — to keep track
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — a song
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — size or range
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mate — a partner
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ball — a great time
  16. track — a path
  17. plane — a tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. object — an aim
  21. mate — a friend
  22. object — to protest
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. face — to point toward

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