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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 120 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 · bank · land · scale · ball · saw · chair · cabinet

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — in music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bank — of a river
  12. land — ground
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. land — to come down
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. scale — size or range
  18. land — a country
  19. plane — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a round shape

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