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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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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: race · snap · plane · cell · perch · mark · bowl · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cell — a phone
  11. scale — in music
  12. race — humankind
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cell — in biology
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. race — a contest
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — a trace
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mark — a grade

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