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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.

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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: firm · plane · date · scale · march · staff · pop · bat

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — to visit
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pop — soda
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. scale — in music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. firm — a company
  20. march — music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. firm — decided
  23. pop — music
  24. staff — employees

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