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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
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: ball · prune · plane · degree · game · scale · bear · fan

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. game — a match
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ball — a great time
  13. scale — in music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — size or range
  22. degree — from a university
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ball — a dance

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