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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: fine · plane · wax · content · bay · pitcher · squash · net

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. content — the amount
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — to grow
  12. content — happy
  13. net — in sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fine — all right
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. squash — the sport

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