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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 116 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: game · net · field · plane · pass · bass · current · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. field — for sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bass — the fish
  10. current — electric
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — for catching
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. current — happening now
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. game — a match
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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