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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: cap · bass · last · scale · pass · rest · plane · content

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — the amount
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — in music
  6. last — finally
  7. content — happy
  8. rest — a break
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. last — to go on
  13. plane — a tool
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cap — of ice
  21. last — final
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — size or range

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