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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: chip · bound · calf · wake · plane · net · field · mine

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bound — tied together
  5. field — for sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chip — to eat
  9. field — a subject
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — farmland
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bound — certain
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bound — obliged
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. net — for catching
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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