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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 116 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: cabinet · bowl · net · hand · plane · cue · present · bark

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. hand — help
  14. net — in sport
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. plane — a tool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — for pool

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