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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: current · deal · fall · ground · board · spell · net · plane

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. current — of water
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — electric
  5. net — for catching
  6. spell — a short time
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — the season
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — happening now
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a committee
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. net — in sport
  17. ground — the earth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spell — magic

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