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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: chair · scale · plane · dip · track · stock · pitcher · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. track — a path
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stock — goods
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — a song
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. scale — in music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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