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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. net — after costs
  5. plane — a tool
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — music
  9. season — in sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rash — a series
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. land — ground
  15. season — of the year
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. net — for catching
  21. rash — hasty
  22. swing — in golf
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bulb — for light

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