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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: scale · lie · court · game · staff · root · last · plane

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a match
  4. scale — size or range
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. plane — a tool
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. root — of a word
  11. court — of a king
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. staff — employees
  16. root — the cause
  17. staff — employees
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of law
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — to go on
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. court — for sport
  24. scale — in music

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