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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 120 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: ground · net · scale · dip · plane · content · stick · patient

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — in sport
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — after costs
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. content — happy
  12. dip — to sink
  13. content — the amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. scale — in music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ground — crushed

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