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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · ball · lean · plane · net · trunk · dip · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. land — ground
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — thin
  9. net — for catching
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. net — after costs
  14. land — to come down
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ball — a dance
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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