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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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468
Word bank
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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fine — all right
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — from crying
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. present — there
  13. tear — from crying
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tear — to rip
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. game — a match
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — a gift

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