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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rule — a law
  9. bass — low music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rule — government
  17. net — in sport
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stand — to bear
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. plane — a tool

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