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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 120 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: plane · mouse · tube · net · vault · bass · staff · field

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bass — low music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. vault — a safe
  18. field — farmland
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. staff — employees
  22. field — a subject
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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