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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: firm · band · plane · clip · toast · key · foot · scale

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. band — a music group
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. foot — a measure
  5. clip — for paper
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. clip — a video
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. key — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. key — for a lock
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. scale — in music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. plane — a tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. foot — part of the body

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