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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
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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: net · mug · rush · land · plane · chip · track · spring

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spring — a coil
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spring — the season
  11. track — a path
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. net — after costs
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — a face
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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