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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: bass · stock · chair · temple · swing · plane · net · wax

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stock — goods
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — for catching
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bass — low music
  22. swing — music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. net — after costs

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