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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cell — in biology
  3. plane — a tool
  4. capital — a city
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bass — the fish
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. net — for catching
  11. face — to confront
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. net — in sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. capital — money
  21. cell — a phone
  22. face — to point toward
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — a football final

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