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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
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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: plane · net · dip · date · tube · content · charge · mouse

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. content — happy
  5. net — in sport
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. charge — a price
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — a container
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. date — the fruit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. charge — in control

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