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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: stick · pitcher · cell · wind · scale · bowl · plane · wound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cell — in biology
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — to turn a key

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