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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: rash · stick · foot · march · land · scale · present · plane

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — ground
  9. present — there
  10. scale — in music
  11. march — music
  12. present — the time now
  13. march — the month
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. present — a gift
  18. rash — a series
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — a measure

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