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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: cabinet · suit · mine · plane · rash · net · club · stand

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — to fit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. club — for golf
  14. rash — a series
  15. net — for catching
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stand — to bear
  18. club — for dancing
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. club — a group
  24. plane — in geometry

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