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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: lie · root · track · net · plane · bass · land · saw

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — a path
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. land — ground
  7. root — of a word
  8. land — to come down
  9. net — for catching
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — a country
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. root — the cause
  20. lie — to recline
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. track — a song

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