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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.

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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: pass · bulb · net · court · arm · fan · row · plane

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a line
  10. court — of a king
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. net — in sport
  13. court — of law
  14. row — to paddle
  15. net — after costs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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