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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · bass · craft · kick · game · net

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. 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. kick — a thrill
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — low music
  4. net — in sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. game — a match
  7. kick — in football
  8. craft — a skill
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. net — after costs
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. 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