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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 · land · plane · swing · pitcher · mark · bass · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. net — in sport
  4. plane — a tool
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mark — a grade
  10. swing — to play on
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — a country
  19. net — after costs
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. net — for catching

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