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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: net · ground · mark · cabinet · foot · plane · dip · mate

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. net — after costs
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — a friend
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ground — a position
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. dip — to sink
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. net — for catching
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mate — a partner

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