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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
468
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 · mine · sharp · cabinet · scale · stock · board · pop

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stock — goods
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — to get on
  13. sharp — clever
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stock — shares
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pop — soda
  24. sharp — with an edge

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