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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: drill · chair · track · content · pass · pop · net · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. net — in sport
  4. pop — music
  5. drill — army training
  6. chair — a leader
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. net — for catching
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pass — a permit
  13. net — after costs
  14. pop — soda
  15. track — a song
  16. content — happy
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. content — the amount
  20. track — a path
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. track — to keep track
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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