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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 120 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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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: bear · plane · game · straw · scale · dip · sharp · ruler

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. game — a match

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