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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. field — a subject
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. net — in sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — a thing
  11. field — farmland
  12. bass — low music
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rule — a law
  18. key — in music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. key — the most important part
  22. deal — to handle
  23. object — an aim
  24. field — for sport

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