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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: mate · bay · staff · land · ball · plane · game · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ball — a great time
  7. staff — a stick
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. game — a match
  12. land — a country
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. scale — in music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. land — ground
  23. staff — employees
  24. land — to come down

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