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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: deal · current · land · dip · cap · roll · plane · net

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cap — a hat
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. land — ground
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. net — for catching
  13. dip — to sink
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. deal — to handle
  17. current — of water
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — a country
  24. roll — a cake

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