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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — for catching
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. land — ground
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. press — to push
  11. scale — in music
  12. roll — a cake
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fine — high quality
  15. press — newspapers
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — all right
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. roll — a list

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