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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. plane — a tool
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. land — to come down
  6. bat — the animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — for catching
  13. bank — of a river
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — a country
  18. net — in sport
  19. track — a path
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. land — ground

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