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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: pit · object · track · last · plane · scale · toast · pass

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. track — a song
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. track — to keep track
  11. object — to protest
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — a thing
  14. track — a path
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. scale — in music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. object — an aim
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. toast — bread

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