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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: scale · track · face · pitch · fan · mark · plane · ball

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — size or range
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — a path
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a song
  14. plane — a tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. ball — a dance
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a great time

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