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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · game · mark · club · plane · net · pit · chest

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. net — in sport
  3. game — wild animals
  4. land — to come down
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. club — for dancing
  8. net — after costs
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chest — of your body
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. net — for catching
  16. club — for golf
  17. land — a country
  18. game — a match
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — a grade
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. club — a group
  24. chest — a box

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