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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.

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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: craft · game · bank · sharp · net · plane · cabinet · content

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — in sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — boats
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — a match
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. net — after costs
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bank — of a river

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