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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · present · plane · roll · shower · rest · racket · scale

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. present — a gift
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — a tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — what's left
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. shower — rain
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — size or range
  14. present — the time now
  15. roll — a list
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. roll — a cake
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — there
  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