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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: mouse · object · fan · game · net · plane · squash · cabinet

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — a tool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. object — a thing
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — in sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — for catching
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. object — an aim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. net — after costs
  24. game — a match

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