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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: net · game · board · wind · scale · rule · plane · stock

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. plane — a tool
  3. board — to get on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — after costs
  10. rule — government
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. net — for catching
  14. stock — shares
  15. net — in sport
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rule — a law
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. scale — in music
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — an aircraft

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