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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: date · sharp · net · land · staff · foot · plane · current

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. 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. sharp — with an edge
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — a country
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — employees
  6. current — of water
  7. land — to come down
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. current — electric
  12. date — the fruit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. current — happening now
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. staff — a stick
  18. net — after costs
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — ground
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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