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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rule — government
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. land — ground
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — a law
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. land — a country
  17. mine — for digging
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. ball — a dance
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. land — to come down
  23. object — to protest
  24. net — for catching

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