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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. current — electric
  10. content — the amount
  11. bat — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. wax — to grow
  14. land — ground
  15. net — in sport
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. land — to come down
  18. net — for catching
  19. current — of water
  20. land — a country
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rock — music

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